Friday, July 12, 2013

Bioidentical Hormones and Hormone Replacement Therapy - The Benefits and Risks


Hormones are vital to staying active for life and decline with age and illnesses. Hormone imbalance begins with menopause.

Women, who are suffering from early menopause symptoms, want to put an end to hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats, vaginal dryness, weight gain, hair loss and low libido. The levels of female hormones will go up and down in the years before and during menopause.

Some women take hormone replacement therapy to relieve the symptoms and others are using bioidentical hormone therapy to replenish the hormones that their body needs to function. You have to familiarize yourself with the hormone imbalance issues and consult with your doctor to decide what is best for you.

So, what is a bioidentical hormone?

A bioidentical hormone is a hormone that is exactly the same as the hormone present in the human body. BHRT is often called natural hormone therapy because they act in the body just like the hormones we produce. They are made from a plant chemical extracted from yams and soy.

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is a modification of hormone replacement therapy. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) consider bioidentical hormones to be natural regardless of their source. They are powerful substances that may offer health benefits, but may also come with risks. It is difficult to determine the extent of most risks and side effects because of the lack of long-term clinical trials using bioidentical hormone replacements.

Bioidentical Hormone Therapy will help to alleviate symptoms most women suffer from due to menopause and hormone imbalances. It also improves the quality of life, and most importantly, helps to prevent many diseases.

Hormone replacement therapy also relieves symptoms of menopausal women and for the longest time has been the medical standard treatment for women. The treatment uses medications containing female hormones to replace the ones the body no longer makes.

On the benefit side, the treatment relieves menopause symptoms, but there are also risks that includes higher rates of breast cancer, strokes, heart disease, and blood clots. If you decide to take hormone replacement therapy, you can protect yourself from the risks.

One way is to take it during the early part of your menopausal years. Another way is to use the lowest effective dose for the shortest amount of time needed to treat symptoms. To determine if hormone replacement therapy is right for you, talk to your doctor about your symptoms and health risks.

Women should not have to struggle through menopause. You can manage your symptoms by making healthy lifestyle choices by changing your exercise or eating habits before you try medication.

If changes to your lifestyle doesn't provide enough relief from menopausal symptoms, there are many medications besides hormone replacement therapy and bioidentical hormone therapy to relieve discomfort.

Talk with your doctor about what is best for you.

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